Glimpses of Australia-Pelicans and Cormorants and a few seagulls.

River Bend Caravan Park Paringa South Australia

We have just spent another 2 days in Renmark visiting relatives.

We opted to rent a cabin in the Riverbend Caravan Park, Paringa.

We enjoyed our stay although it was a little noisy on Saturday night.

You can get that sometimes.

Here are some pics we took on the walking trail that leads out of the park.

Follow the link below to an earlier post on rescuing  Koalas at Paringa.
The Ray Grimshaw mentioned used to own this caravan park back then.

https://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com/search/label/koala%20rescue

A Riverland Short Holiday

Last week we went on a short holiday to South Australia's Riverland.
We went with our good friends Anne and Dave.
We stayed at the Riverbush Cottages(Bluegum Cottage) between Renmark and Berri.
We have stayed there before and we can highly recommend this spot as a good place to retreat for a few days.

http://www.riverbushcottages.com.au/cottages

We dined a couple of nights at the Renmark Hotel and enjoyed the Bakeries of the area during the day.

Pastries from the Paringa Bakery for lunch and then eating them at Dix's Park on he Riverfront was a good start.

Then a drive up the hill through Paringa to Heading's Cliffs and the Look out and then the Woolshed Brewery at Wilkedene a bit further up the road.

https://www.wilkadene.com.au/

After relaxing a drive back through Paringa to Cammie's Antiques where we stocked up on local produce.
Dried Apricot Jam and Fruit Chutney are specialties there.

 http://www.cammiesantiques.com.au/

 Autumn is a great time of the year anywhere in South Australia.

Here are some pics.

Possums on Renmark River Bank.These come out nightly across from the Hotel

Possums on Renmark River Bank.

Reflections Renmark Riverfront

At Riverbush Cottages

Inside Blue Gum cottage

Inside Blue Gum cottage

Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater

Spiny Cheeked Honeyeater

Heading's Cliffs Murtho

Heading's Cliffs Murtho

Heading's Cliffs Murtho

Lunch at Dix's Park Paringa

Corellas at the Woolshed Winery

Two Days in the Riverland-South Australia

This last weekend we spent a couple of days in the Riverland.
We had a great day having a barbecue lunch to celebrate Australia day on 26th January.
The next day we had fun with our 2 nieces as they learnt to catch yabbies.
I took some digital pics but also used 2 of my Pentax 35mm film cameras.
Those shots are still awaiting processing of course.
Below are a few pics.
The tawny frogmouths were positioned on a limb above our picnic spot.
They were wary of us to start with but after a while they spent time preening themselves etc. but still kept a watchful eye on us.

Tawny Frogmouths. Parents and a young one.

We were in Margaret Dowling Park

Yabby. These are called "blueys"

Meat on a string and then when you draw the string slowly up you put the dab net under them.

Koala Rescue-Paringa Paddock 1973

Many years ago I had a wonderful day out with my newly acquired father in Law, Dud Foweraker.
Dud was a conservationist and environmentalist from his very young years.
In about 1973 the Murray River was in some degree of flood or high river.
Near Paringa,near Renmark is an Island called Goat Island.
I am not sure that it is still an island these days due to the drying up of a channel around it.
Some years earlier than 1973 I believe the island was stocked with some Koala Bears from the former
Koala Farm in Adelaide which had been closed.
On this particular day I went out in a boat with Dud and his friend Ray Grimshaw in an aluminium dinghy to see how many Koalas had been separated from the island by the flood waters.
Paringa Paddock was quite flooded and navigable by a "tinnie" at the time.
It was great motoring quietly through the flooded gum and box tree forest.
There were in a few places overhead, Heron's nests with young birds peering down.
I managed to get a few reasonable shots on my old Pentax Spotmatic.
We located a large male bear who appeared to have been stranded for some time in a tree not far above the waterline.
We had a red washing basket on board.
Dud managed to lassoo the bear who growled quite loudly and bundle him under the basket and then into the back of the boat.
He sat there holding onto the side of the boat with one hand until we managed to put him ashore back on the Island.
Below are some pics I took of the proceedings.

baby herons

Dud in spotting mode

Dud and Ray

Dud with Camera

Thanks Guys

Spring in the Riverland

We have just had a couple of days visiting rellies in the riverland at Renmark.
The weather was of the beautiful spring variety and birds and flowers were out in their finest and busiest.
We had a drive through Mallee Country on The Old Coach Road and drove through the forests of Margaret Dowling Park.
Below are some images over the  two days.

Peaceful Dove

Willy Wagtail

Grey Thrush

Butcher Bird

Nankeen Kestrel

Male Darter

Pied Cormorant

Black Cormorant